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Posted by
JeffCore
on 2008-11-02

PUBLIC:

My experiences with VCs prior to Opus were rather frustrating - they tended to focus on the wrong things - i.e. how to squeeze another penny out of the customers, an obsession over how to size the market and an unwillingness to understand that there are valuable nuances to our sector that they may not understand.

Relative to the every other VC, Opus was truly a unique experience. The approach was first to asses our concept, then meet management and only after that dive into projections. Ken Elefant and Gill Cogan were the two leads - they did what they said they way they said in the time frame they laid out.

Gill in particular impressed me, speaking not to hear himself talk but to provide insightful thoughts and strategies.

In addition, Ken made a point of educating himself on the space we were in recognizing that a little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing.

The philosophical approach of what businesses Opus chooses to invest in is important - that is, early stage start-ups that are leaders in emerging sectors with strong management.

With this approach, if a company maintains its leadership within the emerging sector, and the space does turn out to be valuable, it provides a strong opportunity for exit.

Opus best asset was understanding the future for any business is not laid out in stone - projections are simply projections. But with strong management with a clear focus in a new space it may make sense to invest.

At no point did I feel talked down to. I was made to feel as if I was doing them the favor of allowing them to invest in my business, and I believe that they believe that.